LIVERPOOL will sign Glen Johnson after the club confirmed they had agreed a deal with Portsmouth to bring the England right-back to Anfield.

A club statement last night revealed: “Liverpool FC confirmed this evening that they had reached an agreement with Portsmouth Football Club and with Glen Johnson for the transfer of the player to Anfield.”

Johnson’s official fee of £17million will make him the most expensive defender in Liverpool’s history – more than doubling the previous record of £7million paid for Andrea Dossena last summer.

However, as Portsmouth still owing Liverpool a hefty chunk of the £11million fee they agreed for Peter Crouch last summer and the Anfield outfit paying in installments, the initial downpayment could be less than £5million.

With Liverpool and Chelsea both meeting Portsmouth’s asking price for Johnson, the 24-year-old’s future had already looked set to be away from Fratton Park for over a week.

Portsmouth’s chief executive Peter Storrie had already said: “I’ve known Glen for a long time since his West Ham days so when I re- signed him we talked it over and he asked if one of the big four clubs, who were in the Champions League, came in for him would we stand in his way of a move.

“I said that I couldn’t do that provided the deal is good for Portsmouth and for Glen.”

The Greenwich-born player, who initially joined Portsmouth on loan from Chelsea after starting his career across London with West Ham United, signed a new four-and-a-half year contract in January and when this summer’s bids came in indicated he did not want to return to Stamford Bridge.